Colorado History: 7 Events That Shaped the State

The rich history of Colorado is evident in thousands of archeological sites throughout the state detailing the life of the Pueblo people who lived there until the 1300s, says History.com.

Here are seven interesting historical facts about Colorado:

1. Mesa Verde National Park alone contains more than 4,000 archeological sites, including many cliff dwellings. The park, along with Chimney Rock and Canyon of the Ancients National Monument make the Top 10 list of historical sites to see in the state, compiled by Around the World in 80 Years. Colorado traces its history back to around 13,000 AD.

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2. The Louisiana Purchase in the early 1800s brought much of eastern Colorado into the United States. It wasn't until around 1848, at the end of the Mexican-American War, that the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo gave the remainder of what is now Colorado to the United States.

3. The Colorado Gold Rush began slowly with the discovery of small gold deposits in 1858, but by 1859 larger deposits were being found, drawing prospectors to the area. The Colorado rush is considered the "largest gold rush in American history," says Western Mining History. The rush "was accompanied by a dramatic influx of emigrants into the region of the Rocky Mountains and exemplied by the phrase 'Pikes Peak or Bust.'"

4. In 1861, the Colorado Territory was established and the state had a population of about 25,000 people.

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5. Years of warfare between Native Americans and the U.S. Army were kicked off by the 1864 slaughter of about 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians living in Colorado. The Indians were killed by the state's volunteer soldiers led by Col. John Chivington and the devastation launched years of war. Tensions would escalate in the next few years and it wasn't until 1869 that the final military engagement between whites and plains Indians took place.

6. In 1876, Colorado became part of the Union as the 38th state.

7. In 1894, Colorado was the second state to offer suffrage to women. .

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